Evergreen College Writing Review
Chapter 24 The Simple Sentence
First, cross out any prepositional phrases in these sentences. Then circle the subjects and
underline the verbs.
0
1. You should bring a change of clothes to the beach.
02. Shanda always stretches before going on her daily run.
03. The box of cookies is in the cupboard behind the peanut butter.
04. One of Josephine’s contact lenses fell out of her eye.
05. A mystery admirer from Ian’s office sent the bouquet of flowers.
06. I should have taken more Caribbean literature courses before I went to graduate
school.
07. Miguel can tell the difference between a male and a female parrot.
08. Bram Stoker is best known for his novel Dracula.
09. Your tickets will be sent to you by the first week of November.
10. One of our subscribers wrote a letter of complaint about the magazine’s quality.
Chapter 25 Coordination and Subordination
Read each pair of simple sentences below to determine the relationship between them.
Then join each pair in three different ways, using the conjunctions or conjunctive adverbs
in parentheses at the left. Punctuate correctly.
0
1. Arthur was anxious about the benefit dinner.
Only twenty people had responded to the invitation.
(because) _______________________________________________________________
(for) __________________________________________________________________
(since) __________________________________________________________________
0
2. I couldn’t bring the clients both to and from the conference.
Betty offered to drive one way.
(so) ____________________________________________________________________
(since) __________________________________________________________________
(because) _______________________________________________________________
0
3. Stephen cleans the kitchen and bathroom once a week.
They always look cluttered and messy.
(but/yet) ________________________________________________________________
(however) _______________________________________________________________
(although) _______________________________________________________________
0
4. Marcia wanted to hire the actor.
She was concerned about his bad temper.
(but) ___________________________________________________________________
(however) _______________________________________________________________
(although) ______________________________________________________________
0
5. You can wait here for your prescription to be filled.
It will take fifteen minutes.
(but) ___________________________________________________________________
(since) __________________________________________________________________
(however) _______________________________________________________________
0
6. Rhonda’s parents chose to rent an apartment.
They can’t afford a house.
(for) ___________________________________________________________________
(because) _______________________________________________________________
(since) __________________________________________________________________
0
7. Angelo lost his key during football practice.
He could not get into the house that night.
(consequently) ___________________________________________________________
(and) ___________________________________________________________________
(because) _______________________________________________________________
0
8. I would love to own an antique roll-top desk.
I need to save money for our family vacation.
(however) _______________________________________________________________
(unfortunately) ___________________________________________________________
(but) ___________________________________________________________________
0
9. Audrey was late for work.
She had to drive her sister to school.
(because) _______________________________________________________________
(so) ____________________________________________________________________
(since) __________________________________________________________________
10. Beth has an insatiable appetite for fatty foods.
She will have to cut down if she wants to stay trim.
(although) _______________________________________________________________
(however) _______________________________________________________________
(nevertheless) ____________________________________________________________
Chapter 26 Avoiding Sentence Errors
Proofread the following sentences for fragments, comma splices, and run-ons. Correct
them in any way you choose. Be careful of punctuation. Put a C next to correct sentences.
01. Barbecues are not a modern phenomenon South and Central Americans have grilled
meat on open flames for hundreds of years.
0
2. “Barbecue” comes from the Spanish word berbekot, which refers to the wooden
framework used for cooking meat.
0
3. For broiling, smoking, and drying meat and fish.
0
4. Being an excellent way to cook meat for a large gathering of people.
0
5. In the late 1600s barbecues were introduced to the southern United States.
0
6. George Washington often attended barbecues in the years before the Revolutionary
War.
0
7. The word barbecue can refer to the wooden or metal framework used for cooking and
it can also refer to the animal being cooked or it can refer to the event or meal at
which the food is being served.
0
8. When John Calloway was elected governor of Oklahoma in 1923, he had a large
barbecue.
0
9. He served enormous quantities of beef, pork, lamb, buffalo, rabbit, chicken.
10. Nowadays, health-conscious people, add skewered vegetables, to their barbecues.
Chapter 27 Present Tense (Agreement)
Underline the subjects and circle the correct verbs in each sentence. Many of the
sentences contain more than one clause.
0
1. Tsunamis (are, is) caused by underwater earthquakes, volcanic eruptions, or land
shifts beneath the ocean’s surface.
0
2. They can (have, has) wavelengths of several hundred miles, and their wave height
(can be, are) as low as 3 feet.
0
3. As a tsunami (approaches, approach) a coastline, its length (shortens, shorten) as its
height (increases, increase).
0
4. Some tsunami waves (rise, rises) as high as 100 feet, and when they (break, breaks),
they (can destroy, destroys) piers, homes, bridges, and human life.
0
5. Tsunamis (is, are) especially dangerous because they are so difficult to detect in
advance.
0
6. With the aid of modern technology, seismographers often (detects, detect) tsunamis
well in advance.
0
7. Before the advent of seismographs, however, tsunamis (are, were) a tremendous
threat to humans and nature.
0
8. In 1883, over 36,000 people (are, were) killed by tsunamis that followed the
eruption of a volcano in the East Indies.
0
9. The enormous waves (were, are) fast—over 450 miles per hour.
10. The U.S. Coast Guard (maintains, maintain) careful watch for tsunamis along the
Pacific coastline.
Chapter 28 Past Tense
Fill in the past tense of the regular and irregular verbs in parentheses.
1. On December 5, 1955, in Montgomery, Alabama, Rosa Parks __________(refuse) to
give up her seat on a bus to a white man.
0
2. Greg and I __________(be) best friends at summer camp—we __________(play)
kickball, __________(swim) in the lake, __________(tell) ghost stories to the other
campers, and __________(look) out for each other.
0
3. Ana __________(forget) to feed her aunt’s dog, but her aunt __________(forgive) her.
4. The assistant __________(promise) Stewart that she would finish reading the
manuscript by Tuesday.
0
5. I __________(visit) my grandfather when I __________(go) to Miami last summer.
0
6. Before we __________(purchase) our bus tickets, we __________(ask) if the
company__________ (offer) a student discount.
7. Ted and Julio __________(be) at the Mets game when their nephew __________(be)
born.
8. Our floors __________(be) clean, but the rug __________(be) filthy.
9. When our mother __________(hear) that a hurricane __________(be) approaching,
she __________ (tape) the windows, __________(buy) bottled water and candles, and
__________(tell) us to sleep in the basement.
10. When Uncle Marty __________ (paint) the walls, Aunt Gloria __________(leave)
the house because the fumes __________(give) her a headache.
Chapter 29 The Past Participle
Some of these sentences contain errors in the past participle; others are correct. Revise
the incorrect sentences and put a C next to correct sentences. Correct errors above the
lines.
1. Lenny and Dora’s donation was mention on WGBH.
0
2. Our family has sang the same Christmas carols for as long as I can remember.
3. Tapioca, a substance obtained from cassava roots, is used to thicken puddings, pie
fillings, and soups.
0
4. David ordered the broiled salmon with a bake potato on the side.
5. The feature article was finish by a rookie journalist.
6. Dad’s wallet was stole by a young pickpocket in Los Angeles.
7. Ruth has completed the physical fitness test with flying colors.
8. They had start the meeting without us.
9. In the time it took for me to wash my hair, the bread had rose in the oven.
10. George has teached special education classes for eight years.
Chapter 30 Nouns
Proofread the following sentences for errors in singular and plural nouns. Correct errors
above the lines.
0
1. Louise dictated several memorandum to her secretary.
2. Children can sometimes recognize letter and short word as early as age 2.
3. Timber wolfs are extinct in Western Europe, but they can still be found in North
America, Russia, and parts of Asia.
4. The inspector generals ran a series of tests to confirm that the new chemical plant
meets environmental codes.
0
5. During the 1984 Olympics, the medium misinterpreted track star Carl Lewis’s
comments about money and success to be signs of arrogance.
0
6. For over thirty years, Gloria Steinem has been a tireless crusader for women’s right.
7. The developers are building another houses across from ours.
8. Many of Jay’s close friend practice law downtown.
9. A few of the conference participant have chosen to forego tonight’s dinner.
10. Tom and Linda treat all their childs as unique individuals.
Chapter 31 Pronouns
Read the sentences carefully. Then circle the correct word in parentheses.
1. On Mother’s Day, Maura rented The Color Purple because it is (she, her, hers)
mother’s favorite movie.
0
2. The committee nominated Sandra Jimenez, (their, its) favorite candidate.
3. Every woman on the basketball team brought (her, their) date to the banquet.
4. Neither of the two fathers could find (their, his) son in the enormous museum.
5. (Their/The shift supervisor) said that Laina can leave early for her doctor’s
appointment.
6. (It, The message machine) states that the store is open from 9 to 5.
7. (She, Her) and I have been close friends since college.
8. I hope you have more fun camping than (me, I).
9. To (whom, who) shall I direct your call?
10. My brother and (I, myself) arrived at Gina’s party on time.
Chapter 32 Prepositions
Circle the correct preposition.
1. I will take the GRE (in, on) April 8, 2000.
2. (On, In) June of 1863, the Confederate forces pushed north to Pennsylvania.
3. According (to, from) a recent study, daily servings of broccoli reduce incidences of
colon cancer.
4. You will find the encyclopedias (on, in) the reference room.
5. Many philosophers are opposed (to, about) capital punishment.
6. My apartment building is (on, in) the corner of First Avenue and 14th Street.
7. I’ll take responsibility (for, from) all administrative errors.
8. (In, On) Mondays, Wednesdays, and Fridays, Philip goes to the gym.
9. Heidi’s addicted (with, to) caffeine; she can’t start the day without a cup of coffee.
10. Mona studied (on, in) the library until it closed.
Chapter 33 Adjectives and Adverbs
Read the following sentences carefully. Then circle the correct adjective or adverb in
parentheses.
1. I’ll have two (largely, large) sodas and two (small, smaller) orders of French fries.
2. We got to know each other (quick, quickly).
3. Are you (certain, certainly) you know the way to Pedro’s apartment?
4. I did (bad, poorly) on my Chinese literature final exam. I didn’t prepare (well, good).
5. At age eight, Tanya can play the drums (good, better, best) than her teenage brother.
6. These cookies are more (crunchier, crunchy) than the last batch we made.
7. Juan considered childhood to be the (happy, happier, happiest) time of his life.
8. Gwen is the (old, older, oldest) of three daughters, but not the (pretty, prettier,
prettiest).
9. The leak in the pipe is (bad, badly, worse) now than it was last week.
10. Steve knows Lena (good, well); they’ve been coworkers for ten years.
Chapter 34 The Apostrophe
Proofread the following sentences for apostrophe errors. Add an apostrophe where
needed and cross out unnecessary apostrophes. Put a C next to correct sentences.
1. The middle of the hall isn’t the best place to hold this conversation.
2. These farmers’ feelings about the secretary of agriculture were clear.
3. As soon as you’re ready, Ill start the car.
4. The television announcers’ always manage to mispronounce the ambassadors name.
5. Its nobodys business how I spend my spare time.
6. Mick and Jerrys new album contains nine great songs.
7. Well send this applicants résumé to the accounting department.
8. On Thursday’s, the Childrens Museum opens at noon.
9. It’s eight o’clock and time for my favorite TV show.
10. If there’s a logical explanation, hell find it.
Chapter 35 The Comma
Proofread the following sentences for omitted commas. Add commas where necessary.
1. Alex put lettuce onions walnuts olives and cheese in the salad.
2. The coach a cigar-chewing bully pushed his team to first place.
3. My sister Marsha owns the largest hardware store in town.
4. Samuel a dedicated maintenance man won an award for outstanding service to the
Bugle Box Company.
5. A letter postmarked Bismarck North Dakota came for you today.
6. The waiter who works the late shift always has dark circles under his eyes.
7. It seems impossible to get tickets for Laughing on the Inside which is one of the
biggest hits in years.
8. Charles will always remember June 10 1985 as the day he became office manager
bought a house and became a father.
9. Tomorrow morning I plan to get up a 7 A.M. start my homework at 9 A,M. and be
finished by noon.
10. The company’s latest model a combination felt-tipped pen and lead pencil sells for
under $5.
Chapter 36 Mechanics
Correct the following sentences. Capitalize and punctuate (using quotation marks, dashes,
parentheses, and colons) wherever necessary. Correctly identify any titles. In some cases,
more than one answer is possible, as in the use of the dash versus the use of parentheses.
1. tanglewood, a scenic retreat in the berkshire mountains, serves as the summer
residence of the boston symphony orchestra.
0
2. On November 19, 1863, abraham lincoln delivered the gettysburg address, a simple,
270-word speech that honors those who died in that civil war battle.
0
3. To get to kittery, maine, drive north on interstate 93; then follow the local signs.
04. This semester, professor ali the head of the department will be teaching physics I and
II.
05. The reading list for asian american women’s literature includes the following:
Dogeaters by jessica hagedorn, Woman Warrior by Maxine Hong Kingston, and
interpreter of maladies, a short story by Jhumpa Lahiri.
06. Alcoholics anonymous was started in 1935 by two alcoholics and continues to help
thousands of recovering alcoholics each year.
07. In 1995, hallmark sold over 2 billion christmas cards.
08. When asked his opinion about the family’s move, juan said, I think it’s a mistake.
09. I never thought i would become a scientist,” Craig said, but after taking cell biology, I
became very interested in cancer research.”
10. There are three things you need to bring when you go to jones beach a towel,
sunscreen, and a good book.
Chapter 37 Putting Your Proofreading Skills to Work
Proofread this paragraph, correcting any errors above the lines.
(1) Many experts believe that before the year 2020. (2) The moon will be a
popular tourist destination. (3) Adventure travelers now might climb mount everest or
take a canoe trip down the Amazon, soon they will be paying large sums for the
adventure of a lifetime in space. (4)After careful training and space suit drills, they will
rocket out of Earths orbit and spend a day at a fuel depot. (5) Circling Earth and playing
in zero gravity. (6) Then they will board the space ship for the two-day flight to the
moon. (7) Once they land near the hotels main airlock and check in, guests will stare at
Mother Earth in the black vastness of the sky take tours in special buses through the dusty
lunar landscape and experience the thrill of moving at one-sixth the gravity of Earth. (8)
They will be able to jump six times higher and the feeling of being six times lighter. (9)
The week will fly by. (10) As they pack for the return trip. (11) Many travelers will
trade ten pounds of their baggage allowance for the moon rocks they have collect.
(12) After an unforgettable final flight and decontamination the space visitors will reenter their lives in Earth, changed.
Chapter 38 Spelling
Test your knowledge of the spelling rules in Chapter 38 by adding suffixes to these
words.
1. floss + s/es ______________________
2. cruel + est ______________________
3. concur +ing ______________________
4. admire + able ______________________
5. activity + s/es ______________________
6. fly + ing ______________________
7. continue + ous ______________________
8. solicit + ed ______________________
9. sad + er ______________________
10. happy + ness ______________________
11. radio + s/es ______________________
12. judge + ment ______________________
13. predict + ing ______________________
14. supply + ed ______________________
15. pin + ed ______________________
16. file + s/es ______________________
17. mature + ly ______________________
18. pay + ed ______________________
19. limp + ing ______________________
20. pair + ed ______________________
Circle the correct spelling of each word
1. describeing/describing
2. relies/ relys
3. fliped/flipped
4. potatos/potatoes
5. perceive/percieve
6. separate/seperate
7. sincerly/sincerely
8. permited/permitted
9. conscience/consceince
10. foreign/foriegn
Chapter 39 Look-Alikes/Sound-Alikes
Proofread the following sentences for look-alike and sound-alike errors. Correct errors
above the lines.
1. Armand doesn’t mind that he was past over for a promotion; he plans to except a
new position at the end of the month.
2. Weather or not it rains, were going to the performance at the outdoor theater.
3. Do you no who’s jacket this is? Its not mine an it’s not your’s.
4. Accept for Julio, everyone here has being to Miami.
5. They are suppose to set in the last row because there late.
6. The Jacksons have risen ten foster children over the years; that’s quiet a family.
7. Before she new what she was doing, Annice had walked a block passed the bus stop.
8. If your going buy the sports shop, please pick up too pairs of goggles.
9. Joel hoped that his knew job on Sundays would not effect his grade-point average.
10. Myako is more use to this whether then Joyce is.
11. I hope your just been cute when you tell me that my suitcase is missing.
12. As dawn approached, the morning star seemed to loose some of it’s brilliance.
13. Please sit your books they’re on the table, and the librarian will check them out for
you.
14. First Tony scraped the floors; than he set in a corner and surveyed his fine work.
15. Jingling the lose change in his pockets, Jim said, “So whose going to treat me to the
movies?”
16. Although the old saying claims that know knews is good news, I love listening to the
news.
17. Marci has trouble excepting compliments; she blushes and becomes quite.
18. What affect will the strike have on the sale of hot dogs?
19. When the candidate tried to speak, several demonstrators rose their banners an
shouted slogans.
20. Is you’re brother going to except the teaching position he was offered?